KORA MUSICIAN DAVID GILDEN FINDS THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS WITH EVENTIDE TIMEFACTOR STOMPBOX

Drawn to the benefits of having rackmount effects processor capabilities in an affordable and upgradeable stompbox, accomplished kora musician David Gilden recently added an Eventide TimeFactor effects pedal to his touring rig. Since the 1980s, Gilden has toured extensively as a solo artist and with the band Cora Connection, and is one of the world's most accomplished masters of the kora, a traditional African harp-lute.

After experimenting unsuccessfully with other stompboxes and processors, Gilden discovered the TimeFactor, a twin delay stompbox that includes Eventide's 10 best delay effects integrated into a compact, upgradeable package. “I listened to the online demo, heard some of the effects and was totally blown away, because it has the sounds of bigger boxes that typically cost $2,000 or more,” Gilden said.

The TimeFactor features MIDI, USB for software upgrades, and 10 time-tested stereo or dual mono delay effects, including Digital Delay, Vintage Delay, Tape Echo, Modulated Delay, Ducked Delay, Band Delay, Filter Pong, MultiTap Delay, Reverse Delay, and a 12-second Looper. Additionally, v2.0 software is now available for the TimeFactor. The software, free to registered users, downloads and installs easily by simply plugging the USB outlet into an Internet-connected computer, and provides users with an impressive set of new features and improvements.

As a successful touring musician, Gilden was attracted to the TimeFactor's compact size. “Eventide has really packed a lot of features into a small box,” he said. “Most comparable pedals are 20 percent bigger and I would need three of them to get all the sounds I can get from the TimeFactor. Normally at gigs, it takes me 20 minutes to set up my equipment and another 20 minutes to break down. Now I can see myself plugging in a preamp for the kora, plugging in the TimeFactor, and I'm good to go.”

Further adding to Gilden's convenience is the TimeFactor's versatility and ease of programmability. According to Gilden, “With the TimeFactor, you can pair up multiple presets in different banks. Now I have an infinite amount of possibilities stored and when I go to gigs, I can easily access all of them.”

However, the benefits of the TimeFactor go far beyond convenience. With so many features enabling a limitless combination of delay effects, the TimeFactor is easily customizable to suit any musician's style. “You have to spend some time with it to make it your own,” Gilden said. “I have some really dreamy washes and have done some really cool things where I can build up a couple layers of sound, hit the infinite repeat and then solo on top of it.”

More information about David Gilden, including performance dates and music clips, can be found at www.coraconnection.com